TracVision

[Mark Beavin]

My coach has a tracVision satellite. I'm so frustrated. The old direct tv box would not turn on. This is a 2002 TracVision unit. So I pitched the old box, called tracvision and said I needed a #24 direct box. Bought one and get a 755 error code. Then told by direct I needed a swm device so I bought one. I also bought a new HD tv 24". Before the swm the dish just kept searching and never locked in. Now with the swm the dish locks in on a sat but still getting code 755. The people at Direct were no help just wants to send out a service man for 99.00 or buy a 8.99 a month service plan. Instructions I got from TracVision show I need a different receiver. My simple HD 25.00 antenna works just great for local stuff in the area. I'd sure like to get this TracVision to work.

[Jerry Emert]

I have a tracvision A-5 on mine since I bought the coach.  I've been told it is obsolete and cannot be updated.  Haven't really dug into yet though.  Interested in what you find out.  Tracvision was zero help to me.  Good luck.

[Gerald Farris]

Mark,
Due to changes in sattelite broadcast technoligy, you will probably find that a 17 year old inmotion sattelite dish is useless. I seriously doubt that KVH still supports the dish with the necessary software updates that are required to make it function.

Gerald 

[Bill Lampkin]

I've contacted TracVision (TV) twice via email and they say my 2004 vintage TV sat cannot be updated. Reading around on some forums a while back, I did find that TV offered a hardware upgrade kit, no longer available. Will remove TV dish from roof at some point.

[Joel Ashley]

Our coach came with a Kingdome in-motion for DirectTV, but we never subscribed because we watch too much TV broadcast (aka “off-air”) as is, and that’s not why we RV.  Everything I’ve read on the Forum and elsewhere since around 2011 indicated that if we ever wanted to activate the system we’d need a new receiver and antenna as the old antenna didn’t have the right equipment for the newer satellites.  We were aggravated enough finally in 2016 by having to use a converter box (digital to analog conversion), that we at least moved on to digital smart TV’s.  If we did go to satellite, a Winegard Traveler would be my choice as per others’ expressed satisfaction here, but it ain’t cheap.

Joel

[Rick Daniels]

My coach had a kvh trackvision dome, I believe it was the R6 model.  After several contacts with Direct TV and KVH I learned that the trackvisions in the era that my coach was made were only capable of receiving one satellite.  Today both direct tv and dish receive from three or four satellites.  There was an upgrade for the R6 but it only improved reception and the R6 would still only receive from one satellite.  I just replaced it with a Wingard Traveler with Dish Network.  The installer said he has thrown a bunch of the old R6's away as they wont even make a good boat anchor by today's standards. I am very happy with the Wingard Traveler.

[Mark Beavin]

Thanks for all the input. Spent the day yesterday again with Direct and when they transferred me to the tech dept I ended up with a repair facility for direct. They gave me a number of a 2nd party company that was very helpful and when done with them I needed to call KVH again to get the Sat set on the right 1 sat. I was told I would not get HD. Who cares. Also I did not need the swm device Direct told me to buy. They said the download could take up to 24 hours as the old Sat is slow compared to todays stuff. At the 6 hour make my screen was still at 0% downloaded. Will see later today if I got anything over night. Guess I should just tear off the  2 sats and one antenna and patch the holes and enjoy less drag for better mileage.

[Bill Sprague]

Mark,

When we bought our Monterey in '03 for full-timing, the KVH with DirecTV was as good as it got.  We had one of the first flat panel TVs.  It was standard definition.  DirecTV provided all the cable channels and network feeds from both New York and Los Angeles.  Service was spectacular! 

That changed.  DirecTV got tangled up in ownership changes, the switch to HD, true local channels, legal battles over what what football games you could watch and more.  It got harder to get and keep a "mobile" subscription.     

If you are serious about watching TV, look at what Dish is offering RVers.   

[Mark Beavin]

Turned out I did not need a swm device and once we found Sat 101 and transponder 19 I was able to download programming to the receiver box. KVH was very helpful in my quest not to buy a new dish. Happy Camper now.